Process of manufacturing table knives and the like



June 3 1924.-V v 1,496,415

J. H. HoBsoN PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING TABLE KNIVES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 20, 1923 zu '"l "H j Un l a Tql: v l

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JOHN H. HOBSON, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT, V`\..SS,IC-I\IOlt TO THE H'OBSON-BOTTS Y COMPANY, OF DNBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F CONNECTICUT.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING TABLE KNIVES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed February 20, 1923. Serial No. 620,172.

To all whom z'z may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. HoBsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, Fairfield County, Connecticut,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Manufacturing Table Knives and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel method of producing implements such as kitchenknives, table-knives, etc., which are made up of the rimplement proper and a solid handle rigidly and permanently secured'tof gether to constitute a singleV unitary article. The invention comprises broadly the novel method of manufacturing such articles. The invention further comprises the various novel features and combinations of procedure and of structure which are hereinafter set forth and claimed. i

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings `and the appended description, which disclose exempliiications of said invention as applied to the manufacture of a table-knife. But the broad invention is not limited to that particular application nor to the particular steps of procedure or the particular features of structure hereinafter specified. In 30 these drawings- Figs. I and II are respectively aface-view and an edge-view of a portion of a knifeblade with its tang and of the adjacent end ,of ahandle-blank, the two members being sembled; t n

Fig. III indicates, in longitudinal vertical section, a pair of dies between which said handle-blank is inserted to be secured to said tang and simultaneously forced into its final shape;

Fig. IV indicates the assemblage of said blade-tang and handle-blank, but not yet secured together, being a transverse section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. I;

Fig. V represents, by similar view, the same parts after being rigidly and permanently secured together;

Figs. VI, VII, and VIII are details, each representing a modified form of knife-blade tan IX and X are details, each illustrating a modilied form of the inner end of the handle-blank; and f` Figs. XI and XII are respectively a facein position for assemblage but not yet -as-V View and an edge-view of a portion of a comsents the implement proper, such as a knifeblade, one end thereof constituting an integral. tang 2, which is shown as recessed on opposlte edges as at 3 3 and provided with `a hole, as 4f. Said recesses and hole are to serve'as locking-features, and are preferably rectangular, although they may be round (circular). Said knife-blade and tang are indicated (with exaggerated thickness) as a flat unitary member of uniform thickness. Said member is formed of relatively-hard metal, as by cutting-out or punching from a sheet or strip Vof hard steel; and the entire member, comprising said tang and said locking-features, is formed by the one operation. 5 represents a handle-blank, a fiat-unitary member of uniform thickness, substantially thicker than said blade and tang, and of the general contour desired for the finished handle; and it is formed of a relativelysofter metal or metallic composition, preferablyby punching it out from a relativelythick sheet or strip of soft steel. In one end of said blank is then produced, as by saw-Y ing or milling, a slot or slit 6, of a size for snugly receiving said tang 2.' Preferably said tang has a squared rear end 2, and so has said slit, as indicated by the dotted line 6, whereby the two squared surfaces may abut and prevent anyk tendency to relative edgewise-rocking of the assembled members.

and 7 Vare two Vcomplementary' diemembers, suitably concaved, to produce (when broughttogether) the desired `contour of the completed handle, If preferred,

they may Vpresent, in reverse, any desired ornamentation or pattern to be imparted to the handle. The cavity enclosed by said die-members, when closed together, is preferably slightly less than the space occupied by said yhandle-blank before compression.

kThe two members, 2 and 5, are'assembled, as indicated vin Figs. III and IV, and (at normal temperature, without being heated) are placed between said die-members 7 and' ,7' (also at normal temperature, and not heated), as indicated inFig. III; and thereupon said die-members are forced together, as by adrop-hammer, whereby that single operation'cold-swages or cold-welds the hanground off; and the edge of the blade may be sharpened, and the entire unitary implement or merely its handle cleansed and copper-plated, and then plated with nickel or silver if desired.

Such expressions as cold-swaging and cold-welding and cold-forcing, are intended merely to differentiate from a treatment where the temperature of the metal has been substantially raised, as in heat-welding and in casting; and does not exclude the use of the dies whose temperature may have been raised by the use of the drop-hammer in swaging such handles upon such implements; and the word cold does not exclude an article or die having a temperature substantially below that essential inheat- Welding and in casting.

Referring next to Figs. V-Vlll, the hole in the tang, instead of being rectangular, may be circular, as at il', in Fig. VI; or it may be omitted altogether, as in Fig. VII. So, also, the recesses in the tang may be rounded (more or less semi-circular) or V-shaped, or may be omitted altogether, as in Fig. VIII.

Referring next to Figs. IX. and X, the handleeblank also may have a lockingfeature, such as a hole 8 through its slitted end, as in Figjll, or a recess 8 in the edges of said slit, as in Fig. X, which lockingfeature may be rectangular as shown, or rounded (circular), and is formed by the same punching operation that produces the blank itself. lVhen the handle-blank has such locking-feature, the same is located to register with a locking-feature of the same lli shape in the tang, and a plug or rivet, such as 9 in Fig. X, is inserted into the registered holes, andthe entire assemblage (slitted blank, knife-tang and plug) is then presented vbetween the dies and subjected to the blow of the drop-hammer, by which the ends of said plug 9 are flattened out simultaneously with the other results already mentioned.

The above-described process is exceedingly simple and economical. 1t comprises merely the simplel steps of punchingout nthe knife-blade and tang with its lockingfeatures, and the handle-blank (with its locking-feature, if desired, the simple step of slitting one end of said blank, the simple step of insert-ing the knife-tang into the slit (and inserting the plug, when used) and presenting the assembled members between the swaging-dies, and the simple step of imparting a blow of the drop-hammer, followed by grinding olf any fin and finishing the completed article as desired. Consequently the table-knives or other articles produced by said process are far lessv expensive than similar articles produced by other processes, yet are just as good as those produced by more complicated and expen-' sive operations, and have their handles so firmly and permanently' secured as to be in effect one-piece or unitary articles.

The invention has thus been described in full detail as applied to the manufacture of a table-knife; but it must, be distinctly understood that the broad invention comprises a far Wider range of application and is not limited to the precise steps and order of procedure nor to the precise details of structure and combination which are hereinbefore set forth.

The invention having been thus fully described, Wliat is claimed is:

l. The process of manufacturing a metallic implement having a softer metallic handle permanently and rigidly secured thereto, which consistsof forming a solid handle-blank by punching it out. from a thick sheet of such soft metal While simultaneously producing a. locking-feature in one end thereof, then slitting that end of said blank, also forming the implement proper by punching it out from a thinner sheet of hard metal While simultaneously ,providing an integral tang having a locking-feature, next fitting said tang intok said slit 'and thereby. registering rsaid lockingfeatures, then fitting a. metal plug into said registered locking-features, thereafter coldswaging said members and plug while simultaneously cold-forcing said blank into the desired handlefconguration, and finally finishing the completed article as desired.

2. The process of manufacturing afmetallic 'implement having a softer metallic handle permanently and rigidly secured thereto, which comprises punching-out from a thick sheet of such soft metal a handle-blank, then slitting one end of said blank, also punching-out from a sheet of hard metal the implement proper having an integral tang provided with a locking-feature, next fitting said tanginto said slit, and then coldfswagin'gsaid handle-blank upon said tang while simultaneously coldforcing some of said blank-metal into locki ingfengagement with said 1ocking-feature and also simultaneously cold-forcing said blank into a predetermined handle-configuration. i'

3. The process of manufacturing an implement such as a metal-handled tableknife, which comprises punching-out from a thick sheet of soft steel a handle-blank, then slitting one end of said blank, also punching-out rom a thin sheet of hard steel a knife-blade having an integral tang provided with a locking-feature, next iitting said tang into said slit, then positioning said blank and tang between tWo suitable die-members and subjecting them to great pressure as by the blow of a drophammer and thereby cold-swaging said blank upon said tang While causing some of said blank-metal to enter said locking-feature and simultaneously imparting tosaid blank the desired handle-configuration.

4t. The process of manufacturing an irnplement such as a table-knife, Which comprises punching-outV from a sheet of soft steel a handle-blank, then slitting one end of said blank, also punching-out from a thin sheet of hard steel a knife-blade having an integral tang, next fitting said tang into said slit, and then positioning said blank and tang between two suitable diemembers and subjecting them to great pressure as by the blow of a drop-hammer.

5. The process of manufacturing an implement such as a table-knife, which comprises forming from soft steel a solid handle-blank, then slittingpne end of said blank, also punching-out from a sheet of hard steel a knife-blade having an integral tang, nexttting said tang into said slit, and then positioning said assembled blank and tang between a single pair orn suitable diernembers and subjecting them to great pressure as by the blow of a drop-hammer, by the single action simultaneously securing the parts together and imparting the desired handle-configuration.

JOHN H. HOBSON. 

